20 Blogs From Saudi Arabia You Should Be Reading In 2016

Here are 20 blogs from Saudi Arabia you should be reading in 2016. All of them give a unique glimpse into life in Saudi Arabia from different perspectives. Back when I started writing the Blue Abaya blog in 2010, the Saudi blogosphere was still relatively quiet, but blogging has since become more popular. A lot of expat-run blogs are written as journals of their time living in KSA. When the expatriate returns to their home country the focus of the blog shifts and some slowly fade away.

Only the active blogs that have been running for more than a year, based in Saudi Arabia have been included in this list. The only exception to this is the American Bedu blog, which has not been updated for a few years, but is the pioneer of all Saudi Arabia expat blogs and thus deserves an honorary mention.

In this Top 20 Saudi Blogs listed are some of the most informative, active, versatile, unique, specialized blogs from Saudi Arabia. They’re all written in English language under one of the categories; personal journey, diary, travel, lifestyle, opinion, cooking and parenting.

Most of these blogs are written by native english speakers, but there are a few, who like myself speak English as a second or third language. Some Saudi nationals are on the list too.

Blogs listed in alphabetical order.

American Bedu The first Saudi Arabia blog from a foreigners perspective which posted daily for almost 6 years. Carol passed away in May 2013. Her blog remains a wealth of information about Saudi Arabia.

Black Chick on Tour Terri is based in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia and she’s a travel addict. I love her fun videos about life in Saudi Arabia.

Bring the Kids An adventurous American family of six who go on epic road trips and camping in every corner of Saudi Arabia. Great tips for travel and camping with small kids and a wonderful source of inspiration to get out there and explore.

Claire’s Ale Claire blogs from destination KAUST. “Expat life at a Red Sea Resort”, better known as the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.

Desert Enlightenment This is the go to blog for anything and everything about vegan lifestyle and organic in KSA.

Foreign Girl– Chronicles of a curious expatriate. Margo Catts is a professional writer and editor. Her outlook on life in KSA is positive and her curious nature takes her on some really interesting adventures.

iGina This lifestyle blog by Gina Saeed is now called The Arab Mode. Based in Jeddah, she blogs about a wide array of topics.

Jeddah for Kids The title says it all- This is the go to source for all things Jeddah with children.

Jeddah Blog Everything you need to know about enjoying life in Jeddah can be found in this blog!

Kristine Wanders I love this blog because it reminds me of my “previous life” in Saudi Arabia, before I had kids. The expat life of a single female nurse in Riyadh, traveling the world on the side. Those were the days :)

Kiwi in Saudi A New Zealander in Riyadh. Lots of interesting places to see in and around Riyadh.

My Life in Yanbu Lifestyle and cooking blog written by an Indian expat based in Yanbu. Lots of delicious recipes from the region as well as insight and practical info about life in Yanbu.

Muslim Traveller Travel blog written by a Pakistani expat with destinations in Saudi Arabia and beyond many have not heard of before. My favorite are the Road trips!

Saudi SeasonAn English teacher blogging from Saudi Arabia’s Eastern province. Interesting snippets from the life of an adventurous surfer on Saudi Arabia’s east coast. The only person I know who is Surfing in Saudi!

SaudiWoman Written by linguistic professor Eman al Nafjan. This woman is a rockstar. You must read her blog. Valuable insight into Saudi political and social issues from a realistic view point. Eman also writes for Newsweek and many other international publications.

Susie of Arabia Susie Johnson Khalil has been blogging since 2007 and won several international blogging awards such as Best Asian Weblog 2009. Susie is based in Jeddah and she runs a photo blog, Jeddah Daily Photo Journal, posting an image from Jeddah daily since 2008.

The Odysseia Personal journey of a woman from New Zealand in Saudi Arabia. Penelope is based in Riyadh.

The Pink Tarha Three Filipina ladies have written this online lifestyle guide to Riyadh since 2009. Great for new food finds and sale alerts in Riyadh. Winner of Best Website Promoting Tourism 2014 at the SETA’s.

The Same Rainbows End“An American girl meets Saudi boy, adventures ensue.” This is one of the best blogs to show an insight into the “everyday” life in Saudi Arabia, from pov of American woman married to a Saudi.

Ya Maamaa hands-on best parenting blog in Saudi Arabia, written by a Saudi woman and mother of four. ‘Mama B.’ is also a founder of a school The Playroom KSA and a positive parenting coach in training.

Ya Salam Cooking By Noor AlQahtani. “From Tennessee to Riyadh” this popular cooking blog featuring delicious recipes from around the ME.

Hello there, I’m Laura, the founder, author and manager of Blue Abaya, the first travel blog in Saudi Arabia established in 2010. Travel has always been my passion- so far I’ve visited 69 countries and I’m always on the lookout for new adventures inside and outside of Saudi Arabia! Having visited all corners of the Kingdom with over a decade of experience, I have a vast knowledge base about travel and tourism in Saudi Arabia.

Thanks for this list – I am about to move to Jeddah so will find it really very useful indeed. I have been blogging for some years now based in my previous posts of Kazakhstan and Malaysia, I am looking forward to blogging about KSA now! http://www.ersatzexpat.blogspot.comReplyCancel

Hi. Thank you so much for including me in the list of blogs. I know most of them and also yours! :-P I thought I had commented here the very next day.. but guess it didnt go through. Just came over to pin this post! :-p Thank you once again.ReplyCancel

Hi Famidha!
I wanted to include a blog from Yanbu and I was surprised to find so many! Your blog is very active mashallah keep up the good work! I would love to hear more of things to do around Yanbu, day trips and stuff like that ;)ReplyCancel

Hi… I’m a chef from India… Decided to take a break from work and come with my husband to Riyadh for a few months… Almost a year and am still here! yours and a couple of other blogs have been my guide during this time. Today am looking at any job options for me in the food industry! I also write a food and travel blog where I document recipes and food from travels…
Epicureantraveller.cucumbertown.com
It’s amazing to connect with other women here, and I wonder why I did not do this earlier?!ReplyCancel

What a great list! I didn’t know about a lot of these but yours I have been reading and enjoying for a while.
I have a blog too and I have been writing about my motherhood journey in KSA for the past 3 months now. My website is http://www.mymumdiary.comReplyCancel

Hello Laura, this is such an interesting list! Thank you for sharing! You are a real inspiration! I love your blog!! <3
I've been in Syria, France, Germany and now in Saudi Arabia from 3 years. I have recently created my blog which is mainly on Riyadh and my everyday life here, You can all check my new and simple blog here :

Dear dad do not worry for us, I have read the news in Saudi Gazette today that we have left our corrupt country Saudi Arabia.

A country run by corrupt police and corrupt religious police, just to let you know and bastards, corrupt, coward, and corrupt officials, we hate our society, culture, which has nothing to do with our religion, South korean people are very nice and I love there culture, I know you hate me and my friend is your about too, both the families look at us as if it was a sin that we were born, although our brothers are useless, ignorant, stupid, think head, always looking into porn movies and pasing bad comments about girls, and see them only as sex slaves, which Islam do we have in Saudia, a self imposed corrupt and distort form of religion has been made only for the royals and Sauds. We have studied Quran, and we have more rights, but our society is highly corrupt, I know so many boys are involved in adultery and so many uncles travel to europe or Thailand just to have sex with other women, majority of men cheat on there wifves, you know how saudis and our young generation drink alcohols and want to have sex with women without marriage, I see Saudis people as they most dirty and sick mind people having no respect for women, I can assure you, many girls and womens/aunties also hate the life but they dont have the courage to raise there voices, and still sleep with a corrupt husband, I have seen movies installed from hiddencameras at home, how husbands cheat on maids and then get them deported after having sex with them, I know more than 20 people , whose movie we have seen, our society is the most corrut society hidden under the veil of Islam, and nobody is punished here by the royals, and this crime is spreading like a cancer, i know Allah will soon punish us if we do not change, as as are Arabs and Muslims, I have not done anything wrong, but ran away from corrupt society, so myself and my friend we dont become a victom, and our husband doesn’t use us as a whore and sleeps with european or american girls.
Please do not contact me.ReplyCancel

I am writing this as a salute to Saudi Arabia which is the most peaceful and blessed land in the world today. Those who complain and complain, why don’t they pack and just go back. Why are they staying here and enjoying all the luxeries and still complaining. What ingratitude.ReplyCancel

You ought to experience a contest personally with the finest blogs on-line. I’m going to suggest this page!ReplyCancel

meskie sprawyNovember 8, 2016 - 8:31 pm

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I am writing this as a salute to Saudi Arabia which is the most peaceful and blessed land in the world today. Those who complain and complain, why don’t they pack and just go back. Why are they staying here and enjoying all the luxeries and still complaining. What ingratitude.ReplyReplyCancel